


Random Encounter

by krazikrys



Category: Backstreet Boys
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 21:50:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18646786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krazikrys/pseuds/krazikrys
Summary: I randomly meet Baylee at Starbucks before a show. That random encounter leads to another.





	Random Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> Don't know them. Never met them. Love them to death. Wait! Update. I have met Baylee. Did I ask to fic him? NO! Why do I never ask that question??? HA!
> 
> The stuff about my daughter is true. She really was born early. And the stuff about Brian's solo show as well.

I was standing in line at Starbucks in Downtown Sacramento. I was right behind a taller blond young man. I wasn’t really paying attention but figured he had to be young. I didn’t mind. I wasn’t trying to listen, but when he gave his name for his iced coffee, my heart stopped. I was standing behind Baylee Littrell. He was taller than me, which wasn’t hard being I was barely five feet tall. I ordered my frappuccino and stepped over to the other side of the counter and tried to keep myself calm. Our drinks were ready at the same time and we both reached for them together. I glanced at him and smiled. He smiled back at me.

“Are you headed back to the arena?” I dared to ask.

Glancing down at me, he said, “Yeah.”

“Care to walk a single lady back there?”

I saw the conflict he struggled with in his eyes, before saying in his sweet Southern drawl. “Of course.” We headed out of the coffee shop walking side by side, sipping our cold coffees.

As we walked, I ventured to ask a question. “Are you going to do ‘Don’t Take the Girl’ tonight?”

“It’s in the set list,” he said casually.

I smiled weakly. “You’re gonna make me cry again.”

Baylee stopped and looked down at me. “Again?”

I shrugged. “I saw you and your dad do it together on YouTube. Made me cry.”

“Aw,” he replied. “Any reason why?”

We started walking again and I told him about when I saw his dad sing it. “I was in like the third row. The song already was a tear-jerker, but then he stopped.”

“Wait. My dad stopped singing in the middle of a song?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I think he was overwhelmed at that moment.”

“But Dad never stops.”

“I know. That’s why it was so surprising.”

“What part?”

I sighed. “I think if you think about it, you’ll know.” After a moment, he nodded. “But now I can’t listen to that song without crying.”

We kept walking and Baylee looked over at me. “Because he stopped?”

“No,” I shook my head. “Because I became that girl in that verse that he stopped in.” As we walked, I filled him in on the story of my daughter’s birth. He walked in silence that I figured was just typical sixteen-year-old not knowing what to say. As we approached the arena, I finished my story and my frap and waited for him to say something.

Baylee turned to look at me. “Can you come with me?”

“Why?”

He reached for his phone in his back pocket and sent off a quick text message. “Because Dad has got to hear your story. He’s not gonna believe me otherwise.”

I laughed slightly. “What? That you made me cry?”

Shaking his head, he replied, “No. Just wait. Trust me.”

Laughing, I nodded and he led me to the back of the arena. I waited as he ran behind the gates. I watched where he had run off to and eventually saw him return with his dad, Brian, beside him. As they got closer, I could hear what they saying, “What do you mean, I’ve got hear her story, Bubs?”

“Trust me, Dad, just hear her out.”

They approached the fence and I turned to face them. “Hi,” I said, my breath catching in my throat.

“So my son says you have a story I have to hear,” Brian said casually.

I looked over at Baylee. “Which one?” I asked.

“How you became that girl,” he said softly, bowing his head.

I smiled and looked at Brian through the chainlink. “Okay, so, I’m sure Baylee filled you in on the ‘Don’t Take the Girl’ part, right?”

Brian nodded. “Yeah. I honestly don’t remember that show.” 

“Don’t worry. You do so many, it would've surprised me if you did. Anyway, six years ago in March, my water broke. I was twenty-six weeks pregnant. I stayed on hospital bed rest until my daughter was born at twenty-eight weeks.” I closed my eyes and slid my fingers through the chainlink diamonds. “The morning that she was born was Thursday of Holy Week, Maundy Thursday. She had a heartbeat but wasn’t breathing. They took her from the OR into the hallway to intubate her. My husband at the time followed her.” I sighed. “While they were out there, I heard a man’s voice. The only man I knew in that OR was the anesthesiologist. I turned towards him and he asked me if I was okay. I nodded and turned back towards the warming table where they had had my daughter for a moment, waiting, praying. It was then I heard the voice again.”

I looked up at Brian with tears in my eyes. It was then I saw the tears pricking the corners of his. “What did you hear?” he whispered.

“The voice said, ‘I’ve got you both,’” I whispered back. I watched as his lips moved as I said those words. I watched as Brian reached his hand to mine and slid his fingers over top through the fencing.

“Did you hear it another time?” he asked.

This shocked me. “Why do you ask?”

“I heard the same thing when Bay was born.” My breath caught in my throat hearing him whisper that to me. “I’ve never told anyone except Leigh. But I heard it before.”

I nodded slightly. “There was one time, I was stuck laying on my side away from the monitor. I heard…”

“‘I’ve got you,’” Brian said softly. I nodded. He smiled at me, a couple of tears falling from his eyes. “No one knows this. Bay’s only heard pieces from his mom.”

I nodded. “You don’t usually get to hear it. It’s usually a feeling,” I said.

Taking a breath, he straightened up and looked at me. “So true.” He turned away from me for a moment and turned to his son. “Thanks, Bubs. I needed this.”

I backed up from the fence a step and watched as Brian hugged his son and then turned back to look at me. “Thank you,” he said.

I replied with a simple, “You’re welcome,” and glanced at Baylee. He was pointing at his phone behind his dad’s back. I thought I got the message but wasn’t sure. I waved at the pair and headed back around the arena to go find a spot in line.

After a while, I opened up Instagram and there on the top of my feed was a photo posted by Baylee. It was of Brian and me at the fence, his hand on top of mine. His caption was so sweet. “Sometimes the most random encounters turn into moments you’ll remember forever.” I immediately reposted it with his caption intact because it was perfect.


End file.
